Sonya Massey ducked and apologized to an Illinois sheriff’s deputy seconds earlier than he shot the Black lady thrice in her residence, with one deadly blow to the pinnacle, as seen in physique digicam video launched Monday.
An Illinois grand jury indicted former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, who’s white, final week. He has pleaded not responsible to costs of first-degree homicide, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
The video confirmed prosecutors’ earlier account of the tense second when Grayson yelled from throughout a counter at Massey to set down a pot of sizzling water. He then threatened to shoot her, Massey ducked, briefly rose, and Grayson fired his pistol at her.
Authorities mentioned Massey, 36, had referred to as 911 earlier to report a suspected prowler.
The video reveals the 2 deputies responded simply earlier than 1 a.m. on July 6 at her residence in Springfield, 200 miles southwest of Chicago. They first walked round the home and located a black SUV with damaged home windows within the driveway.
It took Massey three minutes to open the door after the deputies knocked, and he or she instantly mentioned, “Don’t harm me.”
She appeared confused as they spoke on the door, and he or she repeated that she wanted assist, referenced God and informed them she didn’t know who owned the automobile.
Inside the home, deputies appeared exasperated as she sat on her sofa and went by means of her purse as they requested for identification to finish a report earlier than leaving.
Then Grayson identified a pot sitting on a flame on the range.
“We don’t want a hearth whereas we’re right here,” he mentioned.
Massey instantly received up and went to the range, transferring the pot close to a sink.
She and Grayson appeared to share fun over her pan of “steaming sizzling water” earlier than she unexpectedly mentioned, “I rebuke you within the identify of Jesus.”
“You higher (expletive) not or I swear to God I’ll (expletive) shoot you in your (expletive) face.” He then pulled his 9mm pistol and demanded she drop the pot.
Massey mentioned, “OK, I’m sorry.” In Grayson’s physique digicam footage, he pointed his weapon at her. She ducked and raised her fingers.
Grayson was nonetheless in the lounge, dealing with Massey and separated by a counter dividing the lounge and kitchen. Prosecutors have mentioned the separation allowed Grayson each “distance and relative cowl” from Massey and the pot of sizzling water.
After Grayson shoots her, Grayson discourages his associate from grabbing a medical package to save lots of her.
“You possibly can go get it, however that’s a headshot,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing you are able to do, man.”
He added: “What else can we do? I’m not taking sizzling (expletive) boiling water to the (expletive) face”
Noting that Massey was nonetheless respiratory, he relented and mentioned he would get his package, too. The opposite deputy mentioned, “We are able to a minimum of attempt to cease the bleeding.”
Grayson informed responding police, “She had boiling water and got here at me, with boiling water. She mentioned she was going to rebuke me within the identify of Jesus and got here at me with boiling water.”
Throughout a Monday afternoon information convention, the household’s lawyer, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, referred to as Grayson’s “revisionist” justification “disingenuous.”
“She wanted a serving to hand. She didn’t want a bullet to her face,” Crump mentioned of Massey.
Requested why Massey informed Grayson, “I rebuke you within the identify of Jesus,” Crump mentioned she had undergone remedy for psychological well being points. He famous that she invoked God’s identify from the start of the encounter and requested for her Bible after the deputies stepped inside.
Throughout Massey’s funeral on Friday, Crump mentioned the video, which he and the household had already considered, would “shock the conscience of America.”
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, demanded the county court docket system be fully open with its investigation and prosecution and clear with the general public.
“The one time I’ll see my child once more is after I depart this world,” Wilburn mentioned. “And I don’t ever need anyone else in america to hitch this league.”
Grayson, who was fired final week, is being held within the Sangamon County Jail with out bond. If convicted, he faces jail sentences of 45 years to life for homicide, 6 to 30 years for battery and a pair of to five years for misconduct.
His lawyer, Daniel Fultz, declined to remark Monday.
In an announcement, President Joe Biden mentioned he and first girl Jill Biden had been praying for Massey’s household “as they face this unthinkable and mindless loss.”
“Once we name for assist, all of us as People – no matter who we’re or the place we dwell – ought to give you the option to take action with out fearing for our lives,” Biden mentioned.
“Sonya’s loss of life by the hands of a responding officer reminds us that each one too usually Black People face fears for his or her security in methods lots of the remainder of us don’t.”
Massey’s loss of life is the most recent instance of Black individuals killed in recent times by police of their properties.
In Could, a Hispanic Florida sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Roger Fortson, when the Air Pressure senior airman opened the door of his residence in Fort Walton Seashore armed with a handgun pointed down. The deputy, Eddie Duran, was fired.
In 2019, a white Fort Price, Texas, officer fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson by means of a rear window of her residence after responding to a nonemergency name reporting that Jefferson’s entrance door was open.
Aaron Dean, the previous officer, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to just about 12 years in jail.
In 2018, a white Dallas police officer fatally shot Botham Jean, who was unarmed, after mistaking his house for her personal. Amber Guyger, the previous officer, was convicted of homicide and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Crump has represented households in every case as a part of his effort to pressure accountability for the killings of Black individuals by the hands of police.
Crump additionally has represented family members of Earl Moore, a Springfield man who died after he was strapped face down on a stretcher in December 2022. Two emergency medical professionals face homicide costs in that case.
Supply hyperlink
